music
March 1, 2026
‘By 18 I was having sex to the music of Brian Eno’: Tim Booth’s honest playlist
The James frontman fell for Leonard Cohen as a child and would do Val Doonican at karaoke. But which singer taught him that ‘music could be medicine’?
TL;DR
- Tim Booth's first musical love was Leonard Cohen's 'So Long, Marianne,' discovered at age eight.
- At 15, he bought 'Hey Joe/Radio Ethiopia' by Patti Smith.
- His preferred karaoke song is 'Paddy McGinty’s Goat' by Val Doonican.
- He associates Brian Eno's ambient music, like 'Discreet Music,' with sex.
- Patti Smith's 'Birdland' profoundly impacted Booth, teaching him about music's therapeutic qualities.
- Nina Simone's live version of 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free' makes him cry due to its emotional depth.
- He admires the musicality of Billie Eilish and Beyoncé, despite them not fitting traditional canons.
- Booth avoids listening to music in the morning, preferring quiet reflection with tea.
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